Drexel ACE--- Where to live? Apartments and such

Published

I am also from out of area, but not too far (Long Island, NY). I was also thinking about doing the craigslist thing, but found another couple of websites to be more helpful. I knew that I was looking for a type of apartment development that was around 30 minutes outside of Philly. So I went to one website first, apartmentguide.com, and put in Philadelphia, PA for my location and looked at places that were at least 20 miles outside of Philly. Then once I found ones that met what I was looking for, I went to apartmentratings.com and typed in the complex name. This website was very helpful because it was able to give previous tenants opinions and I used the overall percentage rating they give to guide where I was actually going to look at when I visited. Once I had a list of about 5-8 places to visit, I called each one up and made appointments to visit. I did all of that about 2 months ago and luckily found a place I loved. I hope these websites are able to help you and any fellow classmates with their apartment search!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

So many of us are moving long distances to go to Drexel, I thought we should have a thread about living arrangements.

Roomates, neighborhoods, apartment buildings, transportation, all of it.

Of course, you should not list personal email addresses, but we can still share.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

septa is our regional transit system: system map college is located near the middle suburban station so looking at map will give you an idea how far out you want to live when choosing apartments.

desiring to live near main campus drexel/upenn area, university city associates has market on most apartments in college area.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do you have a car? It will make a big difference in getting around, and where you live. The ACE program is very time consuming and exhausting so you're not going to want to spend most of your time getting to/from class, buying groceries, etc. Throughout my moves, I've always used the Not For Tourists Guides. NFT is great for pointing out the personalities of each of the neighborhoods, mapping out public transporation options. The guides are broken down by neighborhood, with detailed maps of the streets, locations of coffee shops/ wifi/ groceries/ other things that are important. East Falls is an affordable option, lacking in charm/character, but it's close to a Septa stop. Other options: West Philly, Graduate Hospital. It really depends on what you're looking for and having a car makes a big difference. I would say Drexel is very accessible by car from any point, there are plenty of affordable options within a 20-30 min drive. If you need roommates, craigslist is fantastic. You can also try looking at some of the bulletin boards on campus.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

anyone lookinggfor housing for spring 2012 program?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am going to be moving to the area for spring 2012. I live in central Jersey now so I need a place much closer. I just got accepted on the 9th so I haven't even thought of the whole living situation yet.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi All - I'm also moving for the Spring 2012 ACE program. I don't know Philly at all and am moving from the west coast. Does anyone have any suggestions for neighborhoods to consider? I will have a car, but something within walking distance of classes would be great. I'm flying out in February for a few days to apartment hunt and want to know which neighborhoods to consider first.

Thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Stepdown.

Hey All, I'm a fall 2011 ACEr and just wanted to chime in. If you're able to find a place in the city, try to find someplace south of Hahnemann. Also, with regards to transportation, I am originally from California and /did not/ bring my car. I am SO happy I didnt. The only real reason that you would need a car is to get to clinicals(which can be up to an hour away). Even then, you can carpool with other people in your clinical group. Message me if any of you need help!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think I may have posted on this thread about finding a place to live in Philadelphia, but it may have gotten lost in the website update, so I apologize if it's a double post.

I applied for this program (haven't heard back yet, fingers crossed!!) but I currently live in Philadelphia, and I love it! I live on a trolley line in West Philly, which I find is very convenient and I can get most places in under 25 minutes, and I am not planning on moving. For people moving into the area, I'd recommend looking at where SEPTA lines run, and trying to live close to one of them. I am not a huge fan of the bus, it doesn't usually come on time and sometimes doesn't come at all, but I find the Market Frankford line & Broad St line subways, and Green line trolleys to be very regular & convenient.

Padmapper.com is an awesome website that overlays Craigslist posting onto a Google map, so you can look in a very specific area, and that's how I found my current apartment. You can sort by rent prices and number of bedrooms too. Philadelphia can be very block to block and one block can be great but a few blocks south or west or whatever can be much more deserted & blighted, so looking at Google streetview is also great if you are from out of the area. It's important to remember that the ACE program occurs in the Center City [/url]campus, and not the University City campus. In center city, my *ideal* recommendation would be in the tree streets between Chestnut & South, especially in the teens there are some very pretty historic rowhouses. The center city campus is easily accessible by the Broad St line so even living in South Philly near a subway stop could be very convenient. There are so many interesting neighborhoods in Philadelphia, so good luck :-)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment